Katie Couric, Danica take a spin at Indy

Journalist and television personality Katie Couric waves as she walks away from a car that she rode laps with race car driver Danica Patrick at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Katie Couric feels bad for Ann Curry.

The former co-host of NBC's "Today" show was in Indianapolis on Tuesday to take a drive around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Danica Patrick. The feature will air sometime after Couric's syndicated talk show, called "Katie," debuts in September.

When Couric left "Today" to go to CBS, Curry was passed over for the top job for Meredith Vieira. And Curry was recently replaced as a co-host by Savannah Guthrie after about a year on the job.

Asked about Curry, Couric first said: "That is such old news. Are you guys really still writing about that?"

"I felt bad for Ann and I felt bad for the whole team on the show," she said. "Transitions like that are really tough. But I know she'll go on and do great things."

Race car driver Danica Patrick, right, and journalist/television personality Katie Couric are interviewed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. Patrick gave Couric a tour of the Speedway and a ride in a two-seat race car. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Patrick said she was happy to make a visit to the Speedway. She is set to return to the Brickyard at the end of July for her first race since she left the IndyCar Series to focus on NASCAR full-time.

"It's good to be back here," Patrick said. "I didn't think my first lap in a stock car around here would be a school stock car, but I thought it was a good lead into a couple of weeks from now when we're actually here for the real deal."

Couric said her interview with Patrick won't be part of the show's debut, but it's "going to be early in the season."

Patrick also took Couric on a trip around the famous track.

"We were riding together out there on the track, we were learning about racing," Patrick said. "Even I was still learning about racing. We were just having some fun."

Race car driver Danica Patrick waits by a car she drove laps with journalist/television personality Katie Couric during a break in interviews at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Driving at the higher speeds isn't something Couric is used to.

"I was very, very, very quiet," Couric said. "I was nervous at first, but I had a lot of fun. I'm a huge fan of Danica's and have watched her career for many years now."